Essays, Fiction & Poetry

Writing that can turn heads, open hearts, and change minds.

We publish personal essays, short stories, and poems by established and emerging writers from all over the world.

We encourage submissions from writers whose perspectives are underrepresented in or missing from The Sun. We are particularly looking for work by writers of color, queer and trans writers, writers with disabilities, incarcerated writers, and others who are marginalized on the basis of their circumstances or identity.

Writing from The Sun has won the Pushcart Prize and the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers.

Our contributors’ work has also been selected for many of the Best American anthology series, including Best American Essays, Poetry, Short Stories, Spiritual Writing, Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Sports Writing.

To better manage the volume of submissions we receive, we place a monthly cap on essays, fiction, and poetry. Once that cap is reached, you’ll find our online submissions form temporarily unavailable. But never fear—submissions reopen on the first of every month.

Personal Essays

$200 and up, based on page length

Send us your essay that’s too personal for any other journal—the one where you’re so unguarded you need editors you can trust and compassionate readers who will honor your vulnerability.

Share a clear-eyed reflection on your big mistakes, a joyful celebration of your hard-won victories, or a testament that makes a newsworthy event feel intimate instead of faceless.

We’re looking for essays that seek to understand the world from a fresh perspective and that wrestle with questions that resist easy answers.

Read sample essays

Fiction

$200 and up, based on page length

Send us your emotionally honest story—the one that helps us learn what it feels like to be someone else.

Share satire that hits close to home, tragedy that’s cathartic without being manipulative, or a parable that lingers long after we finish reading.

We’re looking for stories in any genre of fiction that take risks to tell us something true about ourselves.

Read sample stories

Poetry

$200 and up, based on page length

Send us your poem that basks in the mysteries of the universe—the one where the smallest detail tells us about our place in the world.

Share reflections on your relationships, questions for God, or an elegy for something you’ve lost.

We’re looking for poems—usually narrative but always accessible—that invite us into your confidence and lead us to revelation.

Read sample Poems

Guidelines

Language

We consider English-language submissions from anywhere in the world.

Length

We have no formal word limits, but we tend not to publish work longer than 7,000 words.

We will consider up to five poems at once—please save them together in a single submission file.

Formatting

We prefer manuscripts in any legible 12-point font with double-spaced paragraphs, page numbers in the footer, and 1-inch margins.

On page 1 please include the author’s name, submission title, and genre.

While we appreciate careful proofreading, we don’t disqualify submissions for formatting inconsistencies or typos. Please don’t withdraw and resubmit just because you spot a mistake.

AI Policy

We do not accept submissions created by or with the assistance of AI.

FAQ

Queries

We do not respond to queries prior to submission. Send us your complete manuscript, as it is difficult to judge a piece based solely on a description of it.

How to Submit

We consider submissions online via Submittable.

A $2.50 submission fee for online submissions helps defray our expenses related to receiving and evaluating more than 2,000 unsolicited submissions per month.

We do not consider unsolicited submissions via email.

To submit by mail, send your printed manuscript and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

Editorial Department
The Sun
109 N. Roberson St.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

We cannot respond unless a return envelope is provided, and your manuscript will not be returned without sufficient postage. No fee is required for submissions sent by mail.

Submissions Cap

Should you find our online submissions portal closed, this means we’ve reached our monthly cap on essays, fiction, and poetry. We recommend submitting new work soon after the window reopens on the first of the month. Photography, Readers Write, and letters to the editor are always open.

Simultaneous Submissions

We are happy to consider manuscripts that have also been submitted elsewhere. Please notify us immediately if your work is accepted by another journal.

Response Time

We try to respond to each submission within six months. Our backlog of manuscripts is often substantial, however, so don’t let a longer wait surprise you.

Submission Status

You can check the status of an online submission by logging in to Submittable, where you can track your submission and see the most recent status.

We are unable to track mailed submissions. If you haven’t heard from us within six months about something you mailed, we recommend submitting your manuscript again, preferably online.

Withdrawing a Submission

You can withdraw your online submission from consideration via Submittable.

To withdraw just one poem from a submission of multiple poems, please send us a message through Submittable with the title of the poem you'd like to withdraw.

Payment

We offer payment upon publication of accepted work. We pay via PayPal or direct deposit.

Rights

We purchase one-time print and online publishing rights. Click here to view a sample contract.

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